


Evening Star

by yorkisms



Series: Lazer Team Playlist Fics [3]
Category: Lazer Team (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Long-Distance Relationship, Mindy goes to college, Multi, Polyamory, Songfic, her boyfriends go to space instead, sPAAAACE, who doesn't love polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 18:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7812763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yorkisms/pseuds/yorkisms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When home is far behind and ever the long roads wind<br/>I keep your memory in my mind, one day I’ll repay in kind<br/>For so long as I’ve gone and so far I’ve wandered<br/>The evening star has shone thus far.</p>
<p>The Lazer Team goes to space. Some other people don't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evening Star

**Author's Note:**

> This work is semi-dedicated to my long-distance DM Val (leave-xray-alone/bearrightsactivist) who one, got me into this ship, and two, kind of inspired the concept.

_Days are long and nights are cold, the rivers run_  
_I'm swept away down distant paths, the road goes on_  
_From the halls of the free to the tower of torment_  
_Where treasures lie in mountains high_

The transit ship that's to take them to a larger one in orbit leaves on a crisp autumn day. It's been almost a year since the original incident, and all that time has been spent preparing. Space travel takes time, time and hijacking ships that aren't human, because no human ship proved strong enough. 

It launches from the base in Milford, so the Lazer Team doesn't have to go far from home. Mindy comes to say goodbye. 

She's starting college in a few days, at Texas A&M. Hagan helped her pack the night before, and her mom is going to be moving her in. 

First and foremost she hugs her dad, tight, and for as long as she can before moving on to Zach and Woody. 

For Zach she has a kiss, which Hagan leaves alone in favor of feeling a friendly punch from Herman. 

For Woody, it's harder, but she kisses the glass on his helmet anyway. 

"Take good care of him, alright?" she asks Woody with a slight grin, gesturing to Zach. 

"Of course."

They embrace, quicker, before the two have to go and Mindy has to join her mom at the car to get home. 

Neither one stops looking back at her until the gate into the base is closed and Herman calls for them to hurry up already, jeez.

They both have to jog to catch up.

_The silent fields of stars so far and wide_  
_The oceans of infinity, the great divide_  
_In the heavens on high is a light so lonely_  
_The evening star that shines so far_

At first, space is interesting. Zach spends hours looking out at the stars- well, hours whenever he isn't being forced to do...something.

DETIA has decided that it's a good idea to cram their schedule with training, training, training, drill after drill, to make up for lost time- and to figure out what other capabilities the suit has when separated.

And it's not that bad, because they do have a connection with earth: it's a computer, a big desktop, that they all kind of sort of share. They have video chat, which is what matters, and they can send pictures. Zach won't put his phone down for all the photo opportunities, and he cajoles Woody into joining him. 

For the first few weeks Mindy's phone buzzes off the hook with snapchat notifications from the both of them, videos and photos. Some photos of nebulae and stars and stupid things the crew does. Some videos of training stunts, some of her dad dropping in to say hi on video, some candids (mostly blurry, mostly by Zach.)

And it's not that bad because at least when they're busy, so is she. She talks to them about how she's attending football games just like things used to be, and taking classes (of course, she assures her dad). She tells them about her roommate, also a former cheerleader, studying biochemistry. She tells them about how people can't imagine that she's got the resolve to wait for them to come home, that most in her position would resort to the love and companionship of someone, anyone who's physically there. 

She is not most people. They know that, of course. 

Even so, nothing holds them back from using the video-caller whenever they can to chat. Her excitement to see them never fades, her interest in what they're doing never does either. Sometimes she's lucky enough to see onboard drama live, like when the gravity simulator shut off for repairs while they were live.

She asks them conspiratorially if her dad has figured it out yet, what she knew that night (the night before they changed the world.) Zach rolls his eyes, so frustrated, and tells her no, the old men are still arguing like a married couple. Like a married couple who doesn't know they're married. 

"Keep me posted," she insists, and Zach agrees. 

"What are you three giggling about?" Herman asks. 

"Nothing!" Mindy pipes up from the other side of the screen. Zach can't contain a laugh. 

"Yeah, right," Herman says, but he lets it alone.

They all laugh as soon as he leaves. 

"I have to go," she says as soon as she can speak. 

"I have an anthro test tomorrow."

"When can you talk next?" Woody asks, already doing the math. 

"Uh, after anthro. So like, two?"

"See you then," Zach says. 

On both sides they look to see if anyone else is watching, and then Mindy holds up both of her hands. 

They each press one palm to hers. 

"Night," she says quietly. 

"Night, Mindy."

"Until tomorrow."

_When home is far behind and ever the long roads wind_  
_I keep your memory in my mind, one day I'll repay in kind_  
_For so long as I've gone and so far I've wandered_  
_The evening star has shone thus far_

One day they come on later than usual, taking over the video chat. 

"What the hell happened to you?"

They're both more than slightly banged up, a shiner forming on Zach's right eye, Woody's clothes covered in ash. 

They look at each other.

"We saved earth again, I guess." 

"Are you okay?" she asks, and they both shrug.

"Pretty sore."

"In need of a rest."

"Is my dad okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're all fine, just a little bruised-"

She sighs in relief. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, definitely."

She's visibly relieved. 

"What happened? Have they checked you out? Because if not, I'm coming up there."

There's tension-breaking laughter from all three of them. 

"We're fine, babe," Zach says. "It's alright. They gave us a check 'fore we came here, promise."

"If you insist," she says.

"We do," Woody assures her. "I'm taking good care of him."

Mindy laughs.

"Good."

She leans forwards, devouring every detail of how they look with her eyes before she asks, "What happened?"

"Oh, ookay," Zach says, winding up for what's clearly going to be a big story. 

"So, I'm not shitting, this alien was at least two times my size but somehow he was about as speedy as Herman is without the boots, and-"

Mindy leans her chin on her hand.

"You couldn't hit him, could you?"

"What? No! I definitely could!"

"Okay, keep telling yourself that."

_River rushing, waters wide, just north of there_  
_Oh would that I was home again and home was here_  
_And the fire was warm and the wind would whisper_  
_You're home again, on roofs the rain_

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm going to a party with some of my friends," she replies. Hagan zeroes in on this, and looks up from some papers he's reading to eye Zach and Woody over the monitor.

"There had better not be any drinking!"

Mindy rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, dad, I won't!"

She shakes her head then, mouthing 'no' at Zach and Woody in a manner that makes Zach snort quietly. 

"What for?"

"Just because," she replies with a shrug.

"You're not making out with any of those football jocks, are ya?"

"They're not really my type," she admits with a slight grin.

"You're the only jock for me."

"Should come with you," Zach says. 

"I'd let you." She snorts. "Despite the results of the last time."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look around."

"You've got a point," he admits. 

"I've...never been, to one of those parties," Woody admits. Zach makes a face and shakes his head. 

"You wouldn't like them. Way too big for you, too many people, they're all smashed and making out or whatever else."

"You haven't been to too many parties like that, have you, Mindy?" Hagan asks. 

"No, daddy!" 

She nods pointedly at Woody and Zach. 

"God, I wish I could come with you," Zach groans. "It's so boring up here. This is our downtime. That's it, this is all we do. Your dad's reading some boring government crap-"

"Hey, it's a brief on the next stop, and I'm reading it because that nice archaeologist down in the labs wrote it all by himself and none of you are going to read it."

"Damn right we're not, that shit's boring."

"Don't complain when you don't know what's going on, then."

Mindy laughs.

"Miss you, dad." 

"Miss you too, sweetie. How's your mom?"

"The same."

Hagan sighs.

"I bet she is."

Zach leans on the desk. 

"Have fun for me, okay?"

"But not too much fun!" 

"And tell us everything," Woody adds.

"That you can remember!" Zach exclaims with a laugh.

"Zach!" 

"It's a joke!" 

"Do NOT listen to him, Mindy!" 

"I know, I know dad!" she winks at Zach and Woody.

"I'll call you tomorrow!" 

The video goes dead.

_When home is far behind and ever the long roads wind_  
_I keep your memory in my mind, one day I'll repay in kind_  
_For so long as I've gone and so far I've wandered_  
_The evening star has shone thus far_

"Tell me where you are."

Woody pauses. 

"Are you outside?"

"Yes."

"Can you see the stars?"

"Yeah."

She points her camera up.

"Do you see three stars in a row?" 

"Orion's belt, yeah."

"The brightest star, then, about in the foot."

"I see it."

"That's a ballpark."

"What does the earth look like?"

"D'you want me to be honest?"

"Yeah." 

"I'm not sure I could spot it without the helmet." 

She laughs. 

"I might need to get a telescope."

"Earth's the most important star," Zach comments. He's not hovering over the computer, he's looking outside instead. 

"Scientifically inaccurate sentiment appreciated," Woody replies.

"Man," Zach ribs, "Shut up. You looking, Mindy?"

"Yeah."

"So are we."

_When home is far behind and ever the long roads wind_  
_I keep your memory in my mind, one day I'll repay in kind_  
_For so long as I've gone and so far I've wandered_  
_The evening star to me you are._


End file.
